Expanding Our Collection
Archive 38-Year-Old
The very best of aged Laphroaig single malt whisky
The second instalment in our prestigious Archive Collection
We’re proud to introduce The Archive Collection 38-Year-Old, the second instalment in our prestigious Archive Collection. This sought after series is made up of some of the rarest and most precious Laphroaig whiskies in existence, anywhere in the world.
When we started the collection at the start of 2024, we set out to pay homage to the commitment and craft of our master distillers by giving our Friends the chance to experience the very best of aged Laphroaig single malt whisky. This highly limited edition second release does just that.
Our signature peaty profile
Decades in the making
After decades in the making, it beautifully captures a full spectrum of our flavour evolution, with our signature peaty profile receding ever so slightly to make way for a satisfying flourish of fruity flavours. With only a highly limited number of bottles made for this one-off instalment, we are opening a ballot system to our Friends to be in with a chance of purchasing a unique slice of Laphroaig’s history that was first distilled in 1988. (Ballot is now colsed).
- Whiskies
Archive 38-Year-Old
Sweet, spiced and subtly smoked
While the signature Laphroaig peat remains present in The Archive Collection 38-Year-Old, it’s dialled back to allow fruit flavours to shine through, offering a bold yet beautifully balanced flavour profile that enlivens the palate and lives long in the memory.
The nose opens up on bright orange zest that deepens into layers of dried apricot and sultana. On the palate, waves of spice and salted caramel emerge, with subtle hints of crystallised ginger adding a spicy edge. Of course, our smokiness is never truly absent, and that unmistakably Laphroaig peat returns for a lasting finish alongside a mellow sweetness. Matured first in ex-bourbon American oak barrels and then in second-fill Oloroso sherry-seasoned European oak butts, this rare release has been shaped by our history, and crafted to be treasured long into the future.
Guardians of the cask
The Archive 38-Year-Old has been watched over for almost four decades by seven of our distinguished Distillery Managers – making it a worthy testament to the skills of those, past and present, who have poured their hearts into their craft here at Laphroaig. It all began with Murdo Reed, who ensured the early stages of maturation went undisturbed, setting the spirit on its course to becoming a truly special collector’s item.
Murdo was followed by Colin Ross, Iain Henderson, Robin Shields, John Campbell, Barry McAffer, and most recently, George Campbell – each a custodian of quality, doing their part to guide the spirit from cask to bottle. Though separated by time, they worked in concert to create this unique release, handing the baton from one generation of distillers to the next. Together, their combined legacy makes this rare bottling one of our best yet. That’s some good teamwork.
Tasting Notes
NOSE
A bold mix of spice and fruit with a distinctive zest of orange.
PALATE
Flavours of dried apricots and sultanas open up to rich salted caramel, as notes of crystallised ginger maintain a spicy edge.
FINISH
Our signature smoke comes back into play, offering a mouthwatering sensation, balanced with a lasting sweetness.
MATURATION
Initially matured in ex-bourbon American oak barrels, this whisky has been further shaped by the time spent in a second-fill Oloroso sherry-seasoned European oak butt.
Frequently Asked Questions
Laphroaig Archive 38-Year-Old is an aged single malt distilled in 1985 and matured for 38 years, first in ex-bourbon American oak and later in a second-fill Oloroso sherry-seasoned cask. It is the second release in The Archive Collection, created to share some of Laphroaig’s oldest and rarest casks with our whisky friends.
Almost four decades of maturation soften the peat and allow richer fruit notes to emerge, with orange zest on the nose followed by dried apricot and salted caramel, before Laphroaig’s distinctive smoke returns on the finish.
As the second instalment in The Archive Collection, this exceptionally aged whisky continues a series dedicated to rare expressions that have spent decades developing in the cask.
1985. Thirty-eight years in the warehouse before we ever thought about bottling it.
There is no making more of this whisky. The barley was malted, the peat was cut and the spirit ran off the stills in a year we cannot go back to, and every one of those thirty-eight winters by the sea left its mark on the cask. Seven of our Distillery Managers watched over it in that time, from Murdo Reed at the start to George Campbell at the end, each handing it on to the next. That is almost four decades of people doing their part and then stepping aside so somebody else could finish the job.
When the cask was emptied, that was the end of it. What went into the bottle is a piece of our story that nobody can distil again.
Two woods, in order. First ex-bourbon American oak barrels for the early years, then a second-fill Oloroso sherry-seasoned European oak butt for the rest of the thirty-eight.
The bourbon oak laid down vanilla and a soft sweetness. The butt built on it, slowly, and gave the fruit: orange zest, dried apricot, sultana and salted caramel, with crystallised ginger holding a spicy edge. Our smoky whisky. is still in there, quieter after so long, and it comes back for the finish. The old Laphroaig
It waits. After thirty-eight years our peat no longer leads. It settles underneath and lets the fruit go first.
The nose opens on orange zest rather than smoke. Dried apricot, sultana and salted caramel arrive on the palate before anything else. Only at the end does the Laphroaig 38 Year Old Archive Collection show its smoky side again, mouthwatering, with a sweetness that lingers.
Archive 38-Year-Old was released in a highly limited number of bottles and is available to buy on Premium Scotch Whisky from Islay, Scotland | Laphroaig while stocks last. With a whisky this old, there is only so much to go around—and once it’s gone, it’s gone. The Archive Collection carries on, though, and every release goes to our Friends first, so become a whisky member and you’ll hear about the next one before anyone else.
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